The impact of long-term inquiry-based science education on students’ motivation and knowledge acquisition: the role of gender, subject, and level of inquiry

The long-term effects of students’ perceptions of inquiry-based science education when the introductory phase (comprising confirmation and structured inquiry) is omitted and guided laboratory tasks are directly implemented have not yet been thoroughly investigated. This study aims to assess the long-term effects of inquiry-based science education (IBSE) on student motivation and knowledge acquisition, comparing it with traditional laboratory activities across selected STEM subjects. Initial findings reveal that introducing inquiry-based activities in Chemistry classes reduces student interest, increases pressure on female students, and reduces the overall effort students put into learning Chemistry. Conversely, in Biology, these activities appear to reduce pressure for all students. The data indicates that while student motivation is initially low, it improves with continued exposure to IBSE methods. Furthermore, the research demonstrates that IBSE enhances students’ skills and knowledge acquisition over time compared to traditional laboratory instruction. The effectiveness of IBSE varies significantly depending on the STEM subject and is influenced by student gender. Overall, IBSE shows a positive impact on long-term knowledge acquisition and motivation. These findings support previous recommendations, particularly for Chemistry, suggesting that IBSE should be introduced gradually, beginning at lower levels of inquiry.